Polar Plunge moves to Long Branch

Dec. 16, 2012

Written by

Kristi Funderburk

@kfunder

SEASIDE HEIGHTS — The borough draws a lot of people to its resort town at an otherwise slow time of year when the Special Olympics New Jersey hosts its Polar Bear Plunge, but the superstorm Sandy-battered town won’t see the tradition continue this February.

The group is moving one of its biggest fundraisers to Long Branch instead.

“We’re very disappointed, but we also understand their decision,” Seaside Heights Mayor William Akers said.

The group has held the event, which welcomes brave men and women to jump into the icy Atlantic Ocean, in Seaside Heights for the past several years, Akers said.

This past year welcomed about 5,900 plungers and raised more than $1.4 million, according to a prepared statement from the Special Olympics group.

The decision came after Sandy tore through the town, leaving much of it underwater and its boardwalk shattered, Marc Edenzon, president of Special Olympics New Jersey, said in the statement.

“This iconic shore town has welcomed us for the past six years, but now they need to focus solely on restoration efforts,” Edenzon said. “While Sandy wreaked havoc on the residents and businesses of Seaside Heights, we have no doubt that there is a resiliency among the leadership and greater Seaside Heights community that will lead to an extraordinary recovery.”

The plunge will be held at 1 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the beach in Long Branch.

“We understand the decision because it’s unknown where we’ll be at that time,” Akers said. “Everything they’ve said has been positive. I think it’s a matter of a one-year hiatus.”